Mixed feelings on some aspects of this novel, but ultimately I found it enjoyable and interesting.

Kacy has moved away after being framed for an actual crime (though she escaped prosecution) by her truly terrible ex-best friend. Said ex-friend, Aimee, continues to torture her by sending her nasty postcards in the mail. Kacy is having trouble trusting new people and making new friends for understandable reasons. At the same time as this story is being told, the book is alternately narrated by two true crime podcast hosts. You will wonder for awhile how the crime fits in to Kacy’s story with her ex-friend, and the way the two stories merge is clever, if not at all the direction I expected things to go.

But, my little bone to pick. I am a girl without kids who loves to read domestic thrillers. This book had a weird need to highlight the fact that one of the characters didn’t have or like kids, and made an effort to point this out as sort of a red flag character flaw and a key part of her being a bad person. I was really not a fan of that for obvious reasons, so it took a lot for the book to get me back on its side after that.

Also, this book is not one of your dark and ambiguous narrator books. The main character is definitely a bit of a goody two shoes, not even indulging in a LITTLE bit of dark fun or fantasy against a person who truly wronged her, and that made it a little difficult to identify with or have fun with her character. I think I would have enjoyed his book a lot more if Kacy had been allowed to exercise more of her dark side or at least express a little more healthy anger at her psycho ex-friend.

Despite these things, though, I found this a well-plotted and well-narrated mystery that held my interest and kept me coming back to find out what happened. So to sum up, I’d give this 3.5 stars for an enjoyable read despite some flaws. I like how Warburton writes and builds suspense, and I would read her again, but I’d like to encourage her to let her inner bad girl out a little more in the next one. Many of us come to these domestic thrillers for a little dark fun. No need to make the main character quite so perfect.

Thanks to Dreamscape Media for this well-narrated and suspenseful ARC!

You Can Never Tell by Sarah Warburton is a highly recommended psychological thriller.

Michael and Kacy Tremain move from New Jersey to a planned suburban community in Sugar Land, Texas. Kacy is still trying to recover from a scandal and betrayal involving her best friend that resulted in her losing her job as a museum curator and ruining her reputation. Although she is struggling to trust people again, Kacy manages to make some friends in Sugar Land, Elizabeth, Rahmia, and her neighbor Lena. We know from the opening that something terrible is going to happen to the couple and that Kacy's friend is a serial killer. This is confirmed by alternating excerpts from a true crime podcast involving Kacy and Michael. What we need to learn from the plot is the backstory and the events leading up to some terrible discovery. The anticipation of what is to be revealed is what creates the tension.

The big opening disclosure in the narrative grabs your attention immediately and then the plot moves back in time to follow the backstory. Excerpts from the true crime podcast keep the high expectations set by the opening fresh in your mind. You're going to spend a little less time trying to guess who is the killer and much more time anticipating what is going to happen next. It is an interesting choice for a plot device and was largely successful. After the shocking opening, the plot slows down and makes you wait for more information to be disclosed along the way.

Because she is damaged and trying to recover her confidence, Kacy will be a sympathetic character for most readers. You will wish her well and applaud her trying to make friends and fit in - but then you'll worry about exactly who these friends are. Your concern for the well being of her and Michael is going to help increase the tension and suspense because you know something awful is coming. This is a novel that will keep you reading to the end because you need to have some questions answered and need to see when Kacy realizes something is seriously wrong. This is a how well do you really know your neighbors novel. There were some scenes that seemed so true to life, as in pretty darn close to some recent experiences, that it made the tension just that much more intense.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Crooked Lane Books.
The review will be published on Barnes & Noble, Google Books, and submitted to Amazon.

After her bestfriend, Aimee, ended their friendship in betrayal, Kacy is scrambling to piece together a new life. She, and husband Michael, have moved across the country to a new neighborhood and a fresh start.
When she meets her next door neighbor, Lena, Kacy is excited at the prospect of a new frienship. Until the night Michael comes home from their house, with blood on his hands.
Michael discovered their neighbors deadly secrets. Bad things were happening right nextdoor, and they never had a clue. As more information comes out, Kacy is terrified that her new bestfriend may be a serial killer.

Like the newest books by Megan Miranda and BA Paris, Sarah Warburton has readers questioning if they really know their neighbors. What really happens on the otherside of the fence?
The most terrifying serial killers are the ones that don't look like deranged killers. Ted Bundy was a handsome, smart man and knew exactly how to use it against women. Denis Rader was a middle-aged family man who went on Boy Scout camp outs and volunteered at his church. Normal people, doing normal things. Except they captured and brutally killed people. Warburton has given us this kind of serial killer, times two. The couple that kills together stays together!!
I loved everything about this book. The pace was fast, I finished it in one day. There is a podcast vibe to it, but it doesn't take over the book. The killers are smart and likeable, but just as deadly. Though I predicted the twist, it was done well.
Sarah Warburton is a writer to watch. I loved her last book, Once Two Sisters, and I equally love this book. Keep your eye on her, she's going to put out some hits.

Kacy and Michael Tremaine move to a residential part of town in Texas from Jersey after Kacy was fired from her last job for a thing she didn't apparently do and was framed by her friend. Kacy soon befriends three women in her neighborhood--Elizabeth, Rahimia and Lena and she and Michael seemed to be living a happy life with a child on the way.

So when their daughter, Grace was born, Michael discovers a secret in Brady, Lena's husband's past and Lena goes missing. A couple of serial murders have been taking place in the neighborhood. And Kacy starts getting weird postcards...

Initially, the book started a bit slow but gradually it started to become fast paced. The plot was intriguing and the book was engaging and the writer did a good job drawing the reader into the story. The story is told from Kacy's perspectives and towards the end, it was all action packed and I couldn't simply put the book as I want to know what is going to happen in the end! I actually enjoyed reading this thriller, quiet unputdownable with some twists and turns mingling on the way.

Overall, this book gave me a rollercoaster ride--worth four stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

Kacy and her husband Michael move from New Jersey to the Texas suburb of Sugar Land for a fresh start after Kacy is framed by her former best friend for embezzlement. Kacy has major trust issues but is able to make a couple close friends in her new neighborhood. However, not everything is as idyllic in suburbia as it appears and some of Kacy’s experiences become the topic of a true crime podcast, but what really happened in Sugar Land?

Most of this story is told from Kacy’s point of view, but there are also chapters with a transcript of a true crime podcast. The podcast chapters are written in a way that makes them seem like a real show. A lot about the case is revealed in the podcast before they occur in Kacy’s narrative, so the author trades a surprising reveal toward the end for a sense of foreboding throughout the book. It is intriguing to wonder when and how the events hinted at in the podcast will unfold. The book starts out with a leisurely pace as Kacy tries to get on with her life after being betrayed by someone she thought was her best friend. The later chapters really start to pick up and are scary because a lot of the things that happen are very realistic. I enjoyed the book and especially as the story progresses, and the plot starts heating up. I was shocked when the truth eventually came out and enjoyed the dramatic ending. I think fans of Liane Moriarty would like this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane for providing an advance copy of this ebook. The book was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

You Can Never Tell by Sarah Warburton is a straight-forward crime thriller which reads like a real life story. First off, the story starts off at a low phase in the female primary character - Kacy's - life. She and her husband have relocated to a suburban area in Texas so Kacy can get through the betrayal she suffered at her best friend's hand.

Here she encounters another couple, Lena and her husband, with whom she befriends and starts to get back her own life on track. Then something happens throwing her whole world into a topsy-curvy again. This story spans about 1.5 years of their life. And the author effortlessly takes us into the framework of a typical suburban life. So, the reader actually feels like they are watching a real-life documentary rather than reading a story told by an author.

The author also reveals most of the suspense very early in the book; so there are not much twists and shocks the reader goes through. But still the story manages to be interesting particularly because of the way the author has chosen to tell the story. It feels more like a travel into the mind of Kacy and us, the readers, finding out how she manages to come into her own. I would definitely recommend this book, especially for those people who like to read a story which gives the feel of a travel through a book. I very much enjoyed the book.

I have gotten this book from Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review and all the views expressed in this review are my own.

You Can Never Tell is a chilling domestic thriller. The story alternated between true crime podcast transcripts and Kacy's account of the events as they happen(ed). Kacy's coming to terms with betrayal by her best friend Aimee. Kacy befriends Lena, the next door neighbor. For the next two years, Kacy and her husband Michael, and Lena and her husband Brody often hangout together. But things take a turn for worse when Michael accidently stumbles upon Brody's secret. This puts Kacy, Michael and their daughter Grace in danger.

The character development is impressive and the suspense is well-maintained throughout the story. The pacing is a tad slow when compared to other domestic thrillers but this didn't stop me from liking the story. Overall, this was an engrossing read.

This was a great first thriller out of Sarah Warburton - it gave me a lot of things to stay interested in: a naïve but delightful wife/bestfriend, murder, and a hero who cannot be swayed onto the other side of morality despite how much life has tested her. This book was a very interesting format because chapters are interspersed with podcast transcripts explaining the story from an outside perspective. The podcast explores the story as we the readers learn the facts of what happened, and I almost wish there was more of this POV. This was very fast moving and evenly paced with tons of intrigue, drama, and suspense throughout. The murderers were revealed to the reader before they were revealed to the main characters, which is one of my favorite types of POVs because you get such an interesting perspective of knowing more than the characters themselves so you get to watch them make naïve, misguided mistakes. The only thing I didn't love about this was the ending. Everything leading up to it was so entertaining and thrilling and I felt like the ending fell flat a bit. Overall, this was a great, well paced thriller with plenty of twists and turns to keep you coming back to turn the page. Thank you the publisher, author, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, this was a pleasant surprise! I loved the fact that the reader knows who the killer is at the start, and that there were transcripts from a podcast throughout the book - it gave a feeling of someone saying just wait, it gets worse. I also really enjoyed seeing Kacy grow through the story. I thought Sarah Warburton did a fantastic job with making this suburban setting sinister & making me mentally look sideways at my neighbours.

CW: death/murder, physical violence, blood and gore, dismemberment

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for an advanced electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

After being framed for embezzlement by a woman she thought was her friend, Kacy and her husband Michael move across the country for a fresh start. As they begin to make friends with their neighbors, Kacy feels like she can finally settle down and leave her past behind. Over a year later, Michael makes a shocking discovery about their neighbor, and now everyone is eager to find out what other secrets the neighborhood has been hiding. Told alongside commentary from a fictional true crime podcast, this story makes you think you know what's going on, but really, you can never tell.

This one was interesting, but once you know for sure who the killer is, it doesn't feel like anything special. I wanted to know how it ended, but I also wanted it to be over. It wasn't great, just okay.

This fast paced, captivating read that includes serial killers and a true crime podcast had my senses tingling and kept me glued to pages that I read it in one sitting.

A brilliant plot with complex, well developed characters and a perfect balance of suspense that kept me invested from start to finish. I can't wait to read more from this author.

Thank you Netgalley and Crooked Lane Book for an ARC of this book.

This is a nail biting page turner that has an interesting back story, and interesting characters. Overall, this is one I recommend.

You Can Never Tell by Sarah Warbuton is a domestic thriller that combines the narrative of the story interspersed with excerpts from a true crime podcast about the events that take place.

There seems to be a trend for thrillers in this format lately, and unfortunately this was not one of my favourites.

I found the podcast excerpts unnecessary and didn't advance or add to the plot. In fact, I found the dialog of the podcast narrators a bit annoying and I personally didn't like how these excerpts pre-empted major plot points, almost like the story was supplying its own spoilers.

I feel as if the story would have been stronger without the podcast aspect, as it didn't add any value to the plot and felt quite disconnected from it.

Other than that, the story line kept me engaged but without a lot of surprises - again, possibly because the podcast narrators pre-empted the major plot developments.

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the chance to read and review this title.

I was hooked from the first pages. The book opens with Kacy writing a letter to her daughter, Grace, about her godmother. Next, it shifts to a true crime podcast where the story is retold. I enjoyed these parts because they were different.

In the book Kacy and her husband, Michael, have moved to a new town. As Kacy tries to move on from her past, the couple becomes friends with their neighbors. Some disturbing things happen and then there is a climax in the middle of the book. The second half of the book is about trying to put the pieces together.

I loved this book, and I am sure any thriller or true crime fans will too!

You Can Never Tell is the first book I’ve picked up by Sarah Warburton. The summary says a lot about the story, but overall the novel delivered on everything it promised it would be. You Can Never Tell is the kind of domestic, suburban thriller that’s right up my alley.

In the beginning, Kacy still yearned for the life she’d had while working at the museum and living in New Jersey, and that could have been an interesting story in itself. Yet the focus of this book is on what happened afterwards. As the story went along, her priorities changed, and she stopped wondering about the “what ifs” and started living the life she had managed to build. Therapy was a part of her story. I also liked the roles of the supporting characters, as well as Kacy’s relationship with her husband, Michael.

A highlight of You Can Never Tell was the crime podcast transcripts included between chapters. The commentary of the hosts provided a different perspective on the events of the story outside of Kacy’s narration.

The story, in general, was a good one. And, even though you know who the killers are—because it’s very clear early on—it’s not a secret nor is it the sole driving force that kept me turning the pages of You Can Never Tell. Instead, what drives the story are the questions of “how did we get here,” “why,” and “how will it end.” That was the mystery and the suspense all at once, and Warburton did an excellent job on building a sense of dread and foreboding surrounding the events that happened to Kacy and her family—both before and during the present time in the story. It all spiraled into a satisfying conclusion.

Disclaimer: This copy of the book was provided by the publisher (Crooked Lane Books) via Netgalley for this review, thank you!

The readers know who the serial killers are early on, but the protagonists, Kacy and her husband, Michael, don’t. By the time they find out, as you can imagine, the situation is dire.

At her last job, Kacy was framed for embezzlement by the person she thought was her best friend. Shamed out of a career using her art history degree, her loving engineer husband agrees to move from New Jersey to Texas. Kacy wants to move on and, with the help of the new friends she makes in Sugar Land, she does. Except one of those friends is part of murderous duo. This is a fast read, and I thought the ending was fun.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this novel, which RELEASES AUGUST 10, 2021.

Kacy and her husband, Michael, arrive in Texas for a fresh start after her former BFF throws her under the bus for thief and embezzlement at her previous job. Kacy feels lonely, a little bit lost and she is crushed by anxiety. As she tries to forge a place in her new community, she meets multiple women who soon become her friends. When she finally regains confidence among new friends, a newborn and calm suburban life, Michael makes a rather macabre discovery that throws their lives into uproar all over again.

As the story unfolds, chapters are interlaced with transcripts of a true-crime podcast where the hosts are discussing the crime that we're reading about. I have to say, I enjoyed this format quite a bit! I was only a little bit sad that they revealed information ahead of time and took away some of the mystery. However, I was gripped enough not to mind and to keep reading to find out what would happen to Kacy and her family.

You Can Never Tell is an interesting story about Kacy and her choice of friends. Aimee her friend from New Jersey set her up for embezzlement, museum curator Kacy Tremain and her husband Michael move from New Jersey to Texas to start over. Kacy struggling from the betrayal is slow to make new friends. Elizabeth, Rahmia, Alondra, and Lena are the first few that she meets in the new town. Kacy and Michael will have to decide which of their friends are the ones they can count on.

This is a crazy story with lots of twists and turns with a slow burning fuse waiting to go off. It took me awhile to get in to the story. The podcasts are interspersed and distracting, I could have done without those as part of the story. There are several gaps of time where you guess nothing of any value happened before the story picks up again. This is story is still worth the read.

I did not read You Can Never Tell through an educator lens.

Sarah Warburton's newest book, You Can Never Tell really drew me in. I was fascinated by the story and could not put it down. I did feel that it was a bit predictable during the second half and was disappointed that the plot lines with Alondra, Elizabeth, and Rahmisa really just seemed to disappear. Even her husband was just out of the picture. The last part of the book needed more to tie things together.

When Kacy has a breakdown following her very public sacking from her job in an art museum for theft and embezzling, for which she was framed by a so called friend, her husband Michael gets a job miles away in a community in Houston, Texas. Slow to adjust Kacy and Michael meet their neighbours Lena and Brady and become good friends. Until one night changed all this and makes Kacy wonder how she can trust anyone again.
This story is told by Kacy and 2 podcasters who give us their persoectives. In my opinion some of their dialogue takes away from Kacy as we're reading ahead before action may have taken place. Nevertheless this a fast paced read with plenty of twists, exactly what you expect from a thriller
Many thanks to Netgalley and publishers for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
3.5 rounded up to 4